Team Lakay’s Harold Banario joins Brave Combat Federation

Bahrain-based mixed martial arts promotion Brave Combat Federation has signed Harold “The Artist” Banario, 24, of Mankayan, Benguet, Philippines. The Igorot MMA fighter, who is also a painter, is training out of Team Lakay, a mixed martial arts team based in Baguio City, Philippines.

Banario will make his Brave CF debut at “Brave 20: India” at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad, India on December 22, 2018. He is the younger brother of ONE Championship athlete Honorio “The Rock” Banario, 29.

Harold will replace Keith “Killa” Lee, 21, of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, who was pulled out of the “Brave 20: India” card due to an injury. The Team Lakay fighter will face Angad Bisht, 20, of Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, India, who is also making his Brave CF debut.

At “Brave 20: India,” Harold and Bisht will battle it out in the bantamweight division. It marks the Filipino MMA fighter-painter’s return to the cage after going on a hiatus for more than three years.

Currently, Harold holds a professional record of 4 wins and 1 loss. An undefeated fighter from 2012 to 2014, the Team Lakay fighter had his first loss on June 13, 2015 at “PCX 48” where he was knocked out by Mark “Tyson” Abelardo, 27, of Auckland, New Zealand, who recently competed in ONE Warrior Series.

The bantamweight division of Brave CF features several fighters from Team Lakay including Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw, 22, of Kapangan, Benguet and reigning Brave CF Bantamweight Champion Stephen “The Sniper” Loman, 23, of Baguio City. They are expected to be featured in the promotion’s first event in the Philippines in 2019.

Featuring athletes from 10 countries in 9 professional bouts, “Brave 20: India” marks the return of Brave CF in India after “Brave 5: Go for Glory,” which was held at the SVP Stadium in Mumbai on April 23, 2017. Harold is the only fighter representing the Philippines in the second Brave CF event in India.